The Indentured Servant
by everdaytwlight
Summary: I had a lot of school projects but here is a diary of an Indentured Servant Named Elizabeth. This is all fiction I did not steal it from anyone.


June 23rd, 1619

Dear Journal,

It's me Elizabeth. Of course it's me who else would it be the Littleton's. Well, anyway, the ships set sail to the "New World" to help the other colonists with the colony today. I personally think that the colony is going to fail, and all the colonists are going to return home or go ask the King for more money to try and settle this "New World". I believe that it is impossible to settle this place. Several attacks from Indians, illness and no food don't exactly equal good living conditions. I personally would never want to go somewhere as horrid as that. I would rather be begging for my next meal than to go there.

August 18th, 1619

Dear Journal,

Nothing much has happened since the time I had written in you last. But, I now fear for the future of the orphanage. The head of the orphanage is starting to worry about the funds to keep the orphanage and its children alive. It has received many more orphans in the course of two years. We haven't been eating as much as before, and many of us are becoming ill. I've overheard them saying that the orphanage might shut down. The night that I heard the news I couldn't fall asleep. I thought of all the orphans that would now be in the streets. We would be nothing more than beggars pleading for their next meal.

November 26th, 1619

Dear Journal,

There is no more than crumbs at this orphanage, it is Thanksgiving and there has been nothing to eat for days. More than half of the orphanage has died off from starvation or from the dreaded cold. The orphanage is now only a place with beds. There is no warmth, no food, and no hope for the orphanages recovery.

December 24th, 1619

Dear Journal,

Most of us at the orphanage have now died off there is now only 10 of us alive. It is Christmas Eve and there aren't any presents or happiness, we are all huddled around a small fire lit in the fireplace. All of us are praying for 1 bit of food. We only eat about 2 times a week. That is all the orphanage can afford. I am one of the two children that are 14 the other is Thomas. All the others are 11 and under the youngest on is Nicolas. Nicolas is only 3 years of age. Thomas and I went searching for food all of yesterday and today but to no success. I only hope that we all can survive this rough time.

February 7th, 1620

Dear Journal,

I am now afraid to say that the worst has come all of the children except Nicolas, Thomas, and I have died. The orphanage has shut down completely and had been destroyed due to the weather. We had all moved out to the countryside and have been living in a shed. Thomas, Nicolas, and I go out searching for food during the day. When we return we have what small amount of food rations and huddle in the corner for warmth so we can drift to sleep without dying from the cold.

March 19th, 1620

Dear Journal,

Things have not been turning out well. We haven't eaten for days and we have become terribly weak and not to mention the fact that dear Nicolas has become ill. Thomas must carry him on his back while we search the streets for anything edible. We will not result in stealing others hard work but, it seems to become a more enchanting each time a give a thought about it. I have taken it upon myself to find Nicolas a home I want him to be in a nice warm bed, not to scavenge for food on the cobblestone streets. I pray that Nicolas will be healed from this ailment because no one will adopt an ill child no matter how endearing they are. They can not simply risk their health for another. I find it simply cruel. Oh, God please give Nicolas a healthy future.

March 20th, 1620

Dear Journal,

I'm sorry for ranting on and on yesterday it's just that I am under a great amount of pressure and it feels as if I am to blow. This little journal is all I have besides the mud covered dress on my back. The Lord has answered prayers Nicolas has started to recover from his sickness and I found a family that is willing to adopt them as their son. Thomas and I are also grateful that we found a home for him and had not become infected with his illness. Lord knows what would have happened then. I have great news the people from the "New World" have returned and assured us that there are riches and land over there. More people have started going over to the "New World" it's almost as if they had forgotten to by a turkey on Thanksgiving Day and were rushing to the market to find only one left.

June 11th, 1620

Dear Journal,

I fear for my life as I write this to you. Thomas and I have been kidnapped by some evil man. We were at the docks trying to find some dinner when we saw him. He said that we looked like good suitors and then he motioned for someone. Out of know where 2 other men came and they grabbed us and forced us onboard on of the ships. There they bound us with rope and left. Which is where we are now, Thomas is asleep and I was lucky enough to have my diary and pen tucked away in the skirt of my dress. I will try to record as much as I can without being caught but I am afraid that's nearly impossible. I also heard him mumbling about the "New World" but the only thing that is registering in my brain is being a servant that signs a contract for land. But, the thing is we didn't want to leave they are most likely to force us to work for them. I pray to the God in the sky please keep me and Thomas safe on this journey most uncommon.

September 28th, 1620

Dear Journal,

I know that it has been over 3 entire months but the people have been forcing me to work nonstop. It turns out that we are being shipped to America to be servants for its land. Thomas will be always being working while I will most likely be given to the first man who bids for me and I will become his wife. I certainly hope not. Thomas and I have devised a plan for us to not be separated. I will have to pretend that I am his wife. If anyone asks as to why we are so young we will simply answer that it was an arranged marriage and that our parents wanted us to start a family in America. Not all the people on the ship were kidnapped apparently it was only us. Thomas told me that we can not tell anyone of our kidnapping. He says if we do we will be viewed differently and will most likely be a slave to some that is merciless. The thing that makes me the most outraged is, the man that kidnapped us died from an illness so he doesn't even suffer like the rest of us on this godforsaken bobbing piece of wood! Most of the people on the ship wish us luck for our arrival but, I only hope that we land soon because I am becoming awfully sick of the sea. The estimated time until arrival is around 3 days I just hope that this is true and not a way to keep the passengers quiet.

October 2nd, 1620  
Dear Journal,

We have made it to the "New World"! I am still surprised myself at the fact that we were able to. I thought that I would have passed away in the first month, but no I managed to not be infected the entire trip. Luckily I was able to save something with this journal. I had saved a few bible scriptures on a scrap of paper back at the orphanage. They have encouraged me not to throw myself overboard into the welcoming arms of the sea (I'm kidding of course). I only hope that I will be able to stretch my legs and rest once we are allowed off this retched boat. Once I have made it to land I will never step foot on that oversized piece of driftwood again! I barely can fathom what will happen to Thomas and I once we touch land. Will we be sold to work for several cruel years, or will we be able to trick them into thinking that we had managed enough money to start our lives in America as a family. I don't know but I just hope that they don't force me to become another man's bride. I wouldn't be able to handle it then.

October 5th, 1620

Dear Journal,

I am grateful, truly grateful. It wasn't what I thought what was going to happen but I will also accept this with open arms. Thomas was the first person up to be "sold" to another home. Thomas told the family that "purchased" him that I was his "wife" and that he would work harder if he had me by his side. The family willingly "bought" me too. But the thing that I couldn't forget is what the mother said, "We can't wait to have the children over when your finished working." I blushed immensely: this was going to be a hard transition over to working and I'm sorry to say that I will not be able to write for a long time. In fear that someone may read this and also I will be working nonstop. I know that my "master's" are nice but I still am going to be working. I hope that in the years to come Thomas and I will be able to survive and to at least get the land that was promised to the others.

October 19th, 1624

Dear Journal,

I know it has been a long while since I have written in you it's just that I have been so busy helping the Mistress ( the other reason is that I lost you. Oops!) She and the Master have become ill and does not seem on the path to recovery. I also forgot to tell you the Master and Mistress are rich. When I mean rich I mean rich. They had partly sponsored the trip that Thomas and I went on. Oh, and about Thomas, he hasn't died or gotten too sick but, ever since are "marriage" we have become much closer to each other. Not in the ways of husband and wife, but the bond between us has been strengthened. After we had started working we found out that the family that adopted Nicolas in England had come to America and that his new mother is the Mistress's sister. That was a shock that I haven't been able to overcome! I promise to write to you soon but it may be the last entry for a long while for I am almost out of paper. I promise to write at least once more but until then.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth

October 29th, 1624

Dear Journal,

The Master and Mistress have decided that they will be heading back to England permanently. The Mistress has nieces and nephews that she would love to see and that they both need to heal. They don't think that this New World will bring anymore health than has in the past. When they called both Thomas and I into their chambers I had a thought that they were going to give us to the Mistress's sister to carryout the rest of our time working but she said something that changed my life as her servant. She told us that they she and her husband would be going to back to England and that the house and plantation was Thomas and ours. You should have seen the shock written on our faces. I thought that they would have been stuck like that forever if she didn't tell me to close my mouth that looked like a gaping fish. She said that I was like the daughter she never had in somewhat related news. They gave us a nice amount of money before leaving to England. I remember writing in this journal a few years ago at the orphanage and here I am now writing in you for the last time. My, have the years past but, I will always remember them. I thank the Lord for guiding Thomas and I and to not give up in these past years. Until I have a daughter that is willing to write in a journal like I had I can only imagine what the future holds.

For the last time writing,

Elizabeth

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